I’m thinking of going around the property and making a list of all that wants repair. I procrastinate doing this as I know the list will be as long as a CVS receipt and just as depressing. When something breaks down at La Casa de Spo, the general response is to learn to live without it or find an alternative means that doesn’t involve the broken object. I call this ‘The approach” and I am not pleased with it. The TV screen recently gave up the ghost, announcing this by showing everything in morbid dark red and black stripes. Someone is an avid TV watcher; I figured this would be the exception to The approach and he would want to get it repaired or replaced ASAP . Rather, he started watching his shows on the iPad. So there it stands, next to the nonworking gas fireplace.

All the houses in our section are painted shades of brown, what Flannery O’Connor described as ‘bulbous liver-colored monstrosities of a uniform ugliness although no two are alike’. Our abode is painted a light cream with forest green highlights. This was a perfectly acceptable HOA-approved combination at the time of its painting, although there was talk. Nosy neighbors out walking their dogs would stop to ask the painter about (viz. criticize) the color scheme. Over time the green has faded and the current HOA (more draconian than the former) sent us a terse letter telling us we need to paint the house and we can not use those colors anymore. The “approach” is going to be sorely tested by the HOA breathing down our necks.

Recently the dishwasher started acting funny – again. It only runs now on the ‘pots and pans’ setting. We’ve had the repairman over a few times. He does something and it works again for awhile. The stovetop has four settings, one of which does not work. This is tedious especially when I want two large pans going at the same time.

It is not entirely clear what variables contribute to ‘the approach’. Time and money are suspected as the two chief factors. Getting new stovetops, TV screens, mattresses etc. takes time, neither one of us has such. I suspect being cheap figures into things as well. Regardless, it’s time to take action and compose that list and have a sit-down with Someone about what gets addressed first. I wouldn’t mind starting with replacing the 2001 (your read that right) Honda sitting inert in the garage, gathering dust and slowly deflating, but the breaking point will probably be the next letter from the HOA with threats of legal or financial penalties if the paint job isn’t completed. I wonder which shades of brown we will go with. Oh the horror.